Automatic shade-roller.



T. WHITNEY. AUTOMATIC SHADE- ROLLER. APPLICATION 1 11,21) 001 25,1 1

1,057,603.; Patented A m, 1 91s.

and useful Improvements litlltlld MARION T. WHITNEY, 01E CHITWOOID, OREGON.

AUTOMATIC SHADE-Roman.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

ltaten'ted Apr. it, Emilia".

Application filled October 25, 1912. Serial No. 727,819.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MARION T. "W irrnnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chitwood, in the county of Lincoln and State of Oregon, have invented certain new 1n Automatic ShadeRollers; and I'do declare the follow.

ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of'the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertams to "make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic shade rollers.

One object of the invention is to provide an automatic shade roller having an improved means whereby the length of the same may be increased or diminished, thus ermitting the roller tobe adjusted for use in window frames of different widths.

Another object is to provide an automatic shade roller having means whereby the same 'may be applied without the use of separate brackets or similar fastening devices, thus permitting the shade to be supported at any desired position in the window frame.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a. window showing the application of my improved shade roller; Fig. 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal section of the shade roller; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is a similar view through one of the adjustable ends of the shade roller taken on the line 4- 4: of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the adjustable end members of the roller and the window frame engaging spring ends of the caps or ferrules 3 or 4; are centra'lly disposed bearing apertures 5 in which are revolubly mounted. the ends of a roller supporting shaft 6 which is disposed in the center of and extends through the roller 1 as shown.

The central portion of the shaft 6 is solid while the ends thereof are tubular shown. The solid portion of the shaft and the tubular ends thereof may be integral or formed from a single piece of material or as herein. shown the tubular ends 7 and 8 may be sep arate from the solid central portion and secured to the ends of the latter in any suitable manner. The outer extremities of the tubular ends 7 and 8 of the shaft (3 project through the apertures 5 in the caps or ferrules 3 and a and thus revolubly support the roller 1. With the extremities of the tubular members 7 and 8 are engaged interiorly threaded sleeves or sockets 9 and 10 having on their outer ends stop plates 11, the diameter of which preferably corresponds to the diameter of the roller as shown. In the threaded sleeve or socket 10 of the right hand end of the roller is screwed an interiorly threaded roller-supporting rod or member 12 having on its outer end a, bowed frame-gripping plate 13 which is adapted to be engaged with the inner side of the window frame at this end of the roller.

with the sleeve or socket 9 at the opposite end of the roller is engaged a threaded roller supporting rod or member 14 having on its outer end a bowed frame'engaging spring 15-which is adapted to be sprung into engagement with the side of the window frame at this end of the roller and which together with the frame gripping plate 13 will firmly support the roller at any desired ptisilion in the window frame. By providing a screw threaded connection between the roller supporting rods 12 and'l t and the sockets 9 and 10 in the ends of the roller supporting shaft (3 it will be seen that the rods or members 1.52. and l t may be adjusted or screwed inwardly or outwardly to a sutiicient extent to permit the roller to be applied to window frames of different widths will be readily understood. After the roller supporting rods or members 12 and let have-been adjusted to the proper position theserods or members are locked by means of jam-nuts 16 which are screwed inwardly thereon against the stop plates 11 on the ends of the sockets 9 and 10 clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

In order to cause the roller to automatically wind the shade after the latter has been unwound therefrom, I provide a coiled roller operating spring .17 which is arranged on one end of the roller supporting shaft (3 and has its inner end securely fastened to said shaft and its outer end securely fastened to the cap 4. on tlieriglit hand end of the roller, this end of the spring being preferably secured in an aperture 18 in the end of the cap 4.. The spring 17 when thus arranged will be wound up on the end of the shaft 6 when the roller is revolved by the unwinding of the shade, so that when the roller is released the unwinding action of the spring will be imparted thereto to revolve the same in a reverse direction and thereby wind up the shade on the roller. In order to hold the roller against the ac tion of the spring 17 or to prevent the roller from winding up the shade, I provide a pair of pivoted roller-locking gravity pawls 19 which are loosely pivoted at diametrically opposite points to the outer side of the end of the cap 4. and have on their inner edgesnear their outer ends teeth 20 which are adapted to engage suitably formed notches or recesses 21 in the tubir lar end 8 of the shaft (3 whereby when the roller is revolved by the unwinding of the shade, the pawls will play loosely over the notches or recesses in the end 8 of the shaft and when the shade has been unwound to the desired extent and the revolution of the roller thus stopped one of the pawls will drop into position for engaging its tooth with one of the notches 21 in the end 8 thereby locking or holding the roller against retrograde movement by the spring 17 until the pawl is released by a sudden jerk on and the releasiiigo'l' the curtain which will permit the spring to revolve the roller in a reverse direction and thus wind up the. shade. 'lliis pawl and ratchet locking nier-lianisni for the roller ii'iay be of the usual or any form of locking iiiechanisn'i eu'iployed in (DllllCtllUl'l with automatic shade rollers for fastening the latter and holding the shade in adjusted position.

H constructing and arranging my iniproved shade rollcr as herein shown and described it will be seen llial the same may be readily adjusted and applied to window fran'ics ol' dillcreiil widths for siippm-liiig a shade i'ollci' at any desired position, thus pci'iiiilliiig the shade to be hung at the t p of the. window or partof the way down as inav be desired. 'llie improved supporting ineiihanisiii lor the roller also obviates the necessity of providing l)l:l(l\"(l-H or other supporting llltilll-L ll: will also he noted that the roller is of sinipl and inexpensive construction and consists of comparatively few parts which are not liable to get out of order.

From the ,.foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawiiigs, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood with out requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my im'entiomwhat 1 claim is:

1. A shade roller comprising a hollow body portion, bearing caps arranged on the ends thereof, a supporting shaft arranged in said hollow body portion andhaving its ends engaged with said bearing caps whereb the roller is revolubly supported, and roller attaching and supporting members having an adjustable engagement with the ends of said shaft whereby the roller may be varied in length for engagement with window frames of different width.

2. A shade roller comprising a supporting shaft having tubular ends, a hollow body or shade receiving portlon revolubly mounted on said shaft, interiorly threaded sockets engaged with the tubular ends of said shaft,

stop plates on the outer ends of said sockets,

roller supporting members having a thread-t ed engagement with said sockets whereby.

said members may be adjusted longitudinally-to increase or diminish the length of the roller, means to lock said supporting members in their adjusted positions, a,

frame gripping plate carried by the outer cud of one of said members, a frame engagmg spring carried by the outer end of the other supporting member, said. gripping plate and frame engaging spring being adapted to be engaged with the sides of a window 'lraiiic to support the roller at any desired elevation.

23. An automatic shade roller comprising a supporting shaft having tubular ends, a hollow shade receiving roller arranged on said shalt. bearing caps secured to the ends of said rolle' and having therein bearing apertures to receive. the ends of said shaftv whereby the roller is revolubly supportedllicrcoii. iiil'eriorly threaded sockets engaged with the tubular ends of said shaft. stop plalcs arranged on the outer ends of said soi'lqi ls, roller supporting members arranged ill the tubular ends of the shaftand having a thrcrulcd ci'igagemcnt with said sockets whcrcby the members are adjusted to increase or diminish the length of the roller.

a 'l'raiiie gripping plate on the outer end of one of said supporting members, a frame gripping spring on the outer end of the other member, jain nuts arranged on said members wo and adapted to be screwed into enge ernent with said stop plates to hold the mem ers in their adjusted positions, a coiled spring arranged on and secured at one end to said shaft and having; its opposite end secured to one of the caps of the roller whereby when the shade is unwound and the roller thereby revolved the spring will be wound and when the sl'mde and roller are released the unwinding action of the spring will revolve the roller in an opposite direction to wind up the shade, and means to automatioally lock the roller for Holding the shaft in its adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARION T. WHITNEY.

Vitnesses SHERMAN BATEMAN, CARL Gninnnsnnnvn. 

